Supply of data to motor vehicles

ABSTRACT

In a method and an arrangement for data transmission or for supplying automotive vehicles with data which are used for the operation of regulating and control systems, for the exchange of data and/or for polling, modifying and updating of data of this type, the data transmission is performed at fixed intervals by means of a wireless data transmission device comprising a transceiver ( 1 ), a relay station ( 100 ) and a central unit ( 200 ). Data which may contain one or more pieces of information about the technical analysis of the brake system and other systems, the thickness of brake linings, the oil level, the air pressure, etc., is transmitted via this channel.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of supplying automotivevehicles with data which can be evaluated for the operation, monitoringand/or maintenance of automotive vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

To increase the safety and driving comfort of automotive vehicles,electronic regulating and control systems, monitoring, warning andguiding systems, etc., are being installed into vehicles at anincreasing rate. The function of such systems is mainly based on dataprocessing, because the loading of data, data updating, data exchange,and monitoring of the single actions is very important.

Loading of the control programs is part of the manufacture of thevehicle. Monitoring such data, updating the programs, reading out dataabout wear, etc., is done during repair or maintenance operations inrepair shops which, for this purpose, are equipped with correspondingdiagnosis apparatus, data transmission devices and computers. Theexchange of data and their evaluation is reserved to being carried outby experts in the repair shops.

An object of the present invention is to develop a method which permitscommunicating with the electronic system of the vehicle irrespective ofservicing intervals and repair shop visits, such communication meaningacquiring, evaluating, exchanging and updating the various data andprograms independently of any stays in a repair shop.

This additional and more frequent communication between the electronicsystem installed in a vehicle and external monitoring or servicingdevices should take place unnoticed by the driver to the greatest extentpossible. Thus, a recall action may be avoided, for example, in theevent that a program change in an electronic component of the automotivevehicle becomes necessary.

It has been found that this object can be achieved by a method of thetype mentioned hereinabove, the special features of which involve thatdata transmission is performed in regular and individually definableintervals by means of wireless communication devices which will become apart of the basic equipment of every vehicle in the very near future.

Irrespective of servicing intervals and without additional expenditurein time, data transmission is performed in regular intervals which canbe evaluated in a different manner and for different use according tothe present invention. This is done unnoticed by the driver and does notrequire additional time on his/her part. During uncritical operatingconditions, a communication takes place between the electronic systemsof the vehicle and the external monitoring devices by way of which thevehicle is connected by the wireless communication device, depending onhow the present invention is implemented, via online to servicestations, the vehicle manufacturer, etc.

Data transmission is principally effected in both directions. This way,e.g. sets of parameters or complete software programs can be loaded intothe vehicle electronic system, provided the individual control devicesare equipped with corresponding data memories, etc.

According to a favorable embodiment of the present invention, data istransmitted, polled or exchanged by a wireless transmission device,which data holds one or more of the following pieces of information:

technical diagnosis or analysis of the brake system, the chassis, theelectrical system, of one or more vehicle control systems, of thedriving engine, especially information about

the air pressure of the individual wheels,

the oil level in the driving engine,

the brake lining thickness, etc.

The vehicle is monitored this way.

The method of the present invention also renders it possible to conveypieces of information about the wear of determined components, such asthe brake linings, the type of the fuel that was last replenished, andother data, to the vehicle and, especially, the electronic controlsystems such as, e.g., an electronic stability control system or anengine management system in order to thereby automatically adapt thebrakes or the engine control to the prevailing conditions.

In the event of detection of a deviation from the predetermined nominaltire pressure in the data transmission during the data exchange, thisfact is signaled optically or acoustically to the driver. He/she isrequested to correct the tire pressure.

The arrangement for implementing the method according to the presentinvention is configured as a part of a wireless communication device andequipped with an additional data transmission device which comprises aninterface installed in the automotive vehicle through which data flow ordata exchange takes place. A sender/receiver arrangement installed inthe automotive vehicle and adapted to transmit data in both directionsis suitable as a data transmission device. Transmission devices of thistype are suitably based on an electromagnetic transmission method.Transmission can be effected by a transceiver, installed in the vehicle,which transmits the information to a mobile radio system of theterrestrial type or operating via satellite.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematically simplified view of the basic arrangement ofthe data transmission device.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment for implementing themethod of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is principally realized by extending a wirelesscommunication device by means of additional elements for transmittingand evaluating determined vehicle-relevant data. This is illustrated inFIG. 1 in which an automotive vehicle with a device for transmittingdata is symbolically shown.

The automotive vehicle comprises a transceiver (1) and communicates witha central unit (200) by way of a relay station (100) which may be asatellite, for example. The transceiver (1) is connected to a centralmemory (2) and may thus provide intermediate storage of the data to betransmitted or received. This is used to exactly protocol thetransmitting and receiving operations. The transceiver (1) is connectedto an optional number of different control devices (3, 4, 5, . . . N)and can communicate bidirectionally with them. The control devices (3,4, 5, . . . N) are equipped with erasable and reprogrammable memories (3a, 4 a, 5 a, . . . Na) in which information about the conditions ofrespectively one part of the vehicle is stored. The stored informationmay be physical measured quantities or also complete programinstructions for the respective components. During uncritical operatingconditions, i.e., in the absence of need of making use of the data stockof the control devices and in the event that safety of operation andfailfree mode of functioning is not jeopardized, the data in the controldevices (3, 4, 5, . . . N) can be modified. This comprises reading-outof data and also reading-in of new data. Exactly as the transceiver (1),the control devices (3, 4, 5 . . . N) are coded electronically in orderto ensure an accurate addressing during data exchange.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 shows a possibility of transmitting data andsimultaneously safeguarding data integrity. A method of this typerenders it possible to release already preprogrammed functions orintroduce improvements such as “on-line updates”.

The elements illustrated on the left-hand side in FIG. 2 describe theflow chart of a central unit (200) which transmits data to thetransceiver (1) that is shown on the right-hand side in FIG. 2. To thisend, the central unit (200) selects a receiver from a list and demandstransmission in program step (P7). The transceiver (1) waits in theready position for the demand for transmission (P11) and will send asend receipt (P12) to the central unit (200) when transmission has beeneffected. When the send receipt (P12) has been received properly, thereceipt is confirmed (P8) in the central unit, and the central unit(200) sends the message or the data provided with an additionalidentification code for the control device (3, 4, 5 . . . N) and an endmarking (P9). These additional identification codes may be configured asa checksum. The transceiver (1) is now in listening watch and stores inthe central memory (2) the data until the end marking is transmitted(P13). Subsequently, the identification code is calculated (P14) by thetransceiver (1), and a report is sent to the central unit (200). In casean identification code has not been recognized failfree, a negativereport is sent (P16) to the central unit (200), and renewed sending ofthe data is demanded. In the event of a correct identification, acommunication is also sent to the central unit (200) and proper receiptconfirmed (P16). Subsequently, the transceiver (1) selects the controldevice (3, 4, 5, . . . N) chosen for the transmitted data and sends toit the data during an uncritical operating condition.

Apart from the embodiment which is illustrated in detail herein, thereis of course still the possibility of transmitting data from thetransceiver (1) to the central unit (200). It is, for example, possibleto calculate brake lining wear, oil replacement intervals, etc., bymeans of the sensors which are installed in the vehicle, or also bymeans of wear models.

It is self-explanatory that the illustrated procedure is only one ofvarious linkings, possibilities of evaluation, or signal course plans.It is important that the appropriate measures for error detection, errorsignaling and, if possible, error elimination, are triggered as a resultof the information transmitted and evaluated.

What is claimed is:
 1. Method of supplying automotive vehicles with datathat can be used for an operation, comprising the steps of: monitoringmaintenance tracking systems and other automotive vehicle regulating orcontrol systems, exchanging the monitored data between a transceiver ina vehicle and a central unit by means of wireless data transmissiondevices, exchanging complete programs, program parts or subprogramsassociated with said monitoring from the central unit to the automotivevehicle by way of the data transmission device and installing thecomplete programs, program parts, or subprograms associated with saidmonitoring in the automotive vehicle.
 2. Method as claimed in claim 1,wherein data transmission is performed during uncritical operatingconditions.
 3. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein conventionalcommunication and/or navigation channels are employed for datatransmission.